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Jacqueline Laurita’s Kids Ashlee and CJ "Finally" Reunite: "This Is So Good"
The RHONJ alum shared a sweet moment between her daughter, Ashlee Holmes, and son CJ Laurita.
Memorial Day Weekend was extra special for Jacqueline Laurita.
On Saturday, May 25, The Real Housewives of New Jersey alum returned to Instagram to celebrate an epic reunion between her two oldest kids, 33-year-old daughter Ashlee Holmes and 22-year-old son Chris “CJ” Laurita. Jacqueline confirmed the two reconnected during CJ’s trip to the Garden State, where his big sis currently resides.
“I finally have a picture to post of 2 of my children together!” Jacqueline captioned the photo of the smiling half-siblings. “CJ is visiting NJ for the weekend and he and my daughter [Ashlee Holmes] got to connect.”
“This is so good,” she continued in the comments section. “I’m ‘liking’ my own picture!”
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Jacqueline Laurita celebrates her son CJ's 22nd birthday
The reunion coincided with CJ’s birthday celebration in his home state of New Jersey. Jacqueline honored her boy’s special day with a heartfelt Instagram tribute that featured photos from CJ’s childhood, including a snap with his dad and Jacqueline’s husband, Chris Laurita.
“Happy 22nd Birthday to my sweet, handsome, first born son, CJ!” the former ’Wife wrote. “You’ve been such a pleasure to raise. You’re such a sweet, kind, polite, thoughtful, old soul. Dad and I SO proud of the man you’ve become. You bring so much joy to our lives. May all your dreams come true! We love you so much! Xoxo!”
The Laurita family — including Jacqueline and Chris’ youngest son, Nicholas — left New Jersey in 2019 and headed to Las Vegas. Roughly four years after the move, they packed their bags again and relocated to Orange County, where CJ currently works for his dad's company, Velocity Global Brand.
Ashlee Holmes' Post-RHONJ Life as a Single Mom
While the Lauritas built a new life on the West Coast, Ashlee remained in New Jersey to work as a makeup artist. The Nevada native continues to balance her career with being a single mom to her 7-year-old son Cameron Hendrix Malleo, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Pete Malleo. The former couple tied the knot in 2018 and announced their separation about two years later.
Shortly after her divorce was finalized, Ashlee reflected on the split in a lengthy Instagram post, saying her little boy was her main priority.
“This is going to be my first Mother’s Day as a single mom,” she wrote in May 2022. “My divorce was finalized last month while I was away visiting my family,” she wrote. “At this time, I don’t care to say much more about it. All I can say for now is that I wholeheartedly tried everything. I don’t necessarily believe that everything happens for a reason, but I believe that everything that happens to us gives us the chance to become a stronger [and] better version of ourselves if we let life guide us that way.”
She continued: “At the end of the day, as long as Cam is healthy, happy, loved, and safe —nothing else matters. And I would gladly ride this rollercoaster forever for this boy. Pete, thank you for helping me make Cam.”
